Love Shine
by fivestarsellout
Summary: What if Tidus' return was just a dream? As the Gullwings go their separate ways, Yuna and Rikku continue their search for Tidus. Tidus x Rikku, possible Baralai x Yuna, Gippal x Yuna. CHAPTER 2 UP
1. Still in My Heart

**Love Shine **

_A/N: I don't own FFX or FFX-2. Well, I do, but I don't _own_ them... you get the drift._

_This is my first fic, period, so umm... sorry it sucks! XD If you're looking for a good fic, check out Al Bhed Blue by Scottie2. Cuz it's the best fic ever. Seriously. XD_

_This is a Tikku, because, well, I love Tidus/Rikku. There may also be some Yuna/Gippal, because I said so._

_I got the idea for this fic while talking to Scottie2. She was telling me about this theory that the good/perfect ending is just a dream (which, for us Tikku fans, is a pretty appealing, albeit not very likely, theory). Well, the more I watch the perfect ending, the more I see it -- because, y'know, it just leaves Yuna standing there by herself -- what kinda love story ends like that? Not to mention you can't see Tidus in the water below. Really, the perfect ending itself is pretty retarded, I've seen better explanations for Tidus coming back on FFN. lol. Anyway, Hineko and I were chatting it up, and came up with the idea for this story, which she was originally going to write (I'm more of a muse myself). We ended up turning it into a lj community rpg, but it didn't get too far before I realized I wanted to write this myself. So, um, I am. XD LOLRNRDDROMGKTHX!11oneoen_

**Prologue**

He stood where he had two years before, overlooking the dead city of Zanarkand. He was back, he was here with her... yet all she could feel was this melancholy sadness. She kept her distance, cautious. The very air made it all seem so fragile, as if it all might just fade away if she breathed too loudly, if she glanced away even for just a moment.

"I got a theory." His voice broke the eerie silence, sending shivers up Yuna's spine. "I think the fayth gathered up my thoughts and put 'em together to bring me back." He spoke slowly, as if he himself didn't fully understand how it had all happened. "Maybe. Something like that."

Her eyes followed his movements, memorizing them, in case... _No. _She couldn't bring herself to face that possibility, not having lost him once already.

Tidus gave breath to her fears. "Or maybe...I'm still a dream."

"Wait! So you'll disappear?" Her heart raced, and she lowered her eyes. Somehow the words didn't surprise her... it was something she had prepared herself to expect... but it was the last thing she wanted to hear.

"Cherish me, Yuna." Her eyes shot up; he was still there. "And I'll cherish you. All right? We gotta stay together." He spoke the words as she thought them, her plan to keep him here, to hold on to him and never let go. "That's what we have to do."

_That's what we have to do. _She ran to him, a sense of hope welling up inside of her as her arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. She breathed him in, and smiled. "Is that what the fayth told you?"

Tidus smiled back. "Nah. But I like it." She laughed, lost in the moment, and as his laughter blended with hers, she stepped back on a whim and playfully pushed him into the water below.

The splash brought a smile to her face. Wiping the water from his eyes, Tidus shouted back at the girl. "Hey! That's not cherishing!"

She answered his confused expression with a simple statement. "You didn't disappear." As the words left her lips, a sudden sadness overcame her. Tidus lifted his hands, looking at them, and laughed at the realization. She nodded and smiled sweetly, sadly...

As the pyreflies flew over the ancient city bathed in twilight, Yuna closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. And when she opened her eyes again, she realized she was alone.

"Tidus?"

**Chapter 1: Still in My Heart**

"Yuna!"

"...Tidus?" Yuna's lips moved ever so slightly as she furrowed her brow, caught in the moment between dreaming and waking.

Rikku leaned over her sleeping cousin, gently shaking her shoulders. "Wakey wakey, Yunie!" she sung. "Come on, it's getting late and we need to take Paine back to Bevelle!"

Yuna moaned. "But Tidus and I..." As her eyes slowly fluttered open, she met Rikku's questioning gaze.

"Tidus...?" Rikku's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name.

"Oh!" Yuna sat up, swinging her legs around the side of the bed. "How long have I been asleep?"

Rikku grinned. "Long enough! We came all this way back to Besaid for your welcome home party, and you go and spend half the afternoon asleep in bed!" She laughed. "And Paine's been a grouch the whole time about missing the guys' speech! If it weren't for Lulu keeping her busy with baby Vidina, I woulda gone blitzcakes!"

Yuna giggled at the thought of Paine holding a baby. "Aww, I missed that?"

"Blitzcakes?" The two girls swung around at the familiar voice, Yuna gasping in embarassment. "That's even dumber than 'disasteriffic', Rikku."

"Aww, whadda you know, Paine?" Rikku made a face and stuck out her tongue at her stoic friend.

Paine walked across the room to the two cousins. "I'd charge you a respect point for that, but I don't think you have any left."

"You don't mean it!" Rikku's face fell in disappointment. Paine laughed at her unusually serious expression. "Hey! Why are you laughing?" Rikku was distressed. "Not funny, Paine! SO not funny!"

Paine smirked. "Anyway." She turned to Yuna. "Brother has the ship ready to head back, so whenever you're ready..."

Yuna nodded.

"Now, I don't want you to think any less of me for it, but... I really will miss you two." A chorus of "awww"s met Paine's ears, and she instantly regretted her statement as Rikku ran over and began to squeeze the life out of her with a giant bear hug.

"I'M GONNA MISS YOU SOO MUUUCH!1" the young Al Bhed bawled. "WHAT WILL WE EVER DO WITHOU--"

"RIKKU." Two blurry green eyes looked up to find Paine's unusually red ones glaring down at her. "Can't breathe. That's enough, thanks."

"Eh heh heh... sorry," Rikku said sheepishly as she relinquished her death grip on her friend. "I guess we'll have plenty of time for goodbyes later, anyway."

"Mm." Yuna nodded with a smile and stood. "Let's go!"

**Still in My Heart: Cleared!**

_A/N: That's it for chapter one! Sorry it's so short! XD And I apologize for the usage of "blitzcakes", I have no idea where that one came from. I don't tell Rikku what to say, she just says stuff! Crazy Al Bhed..._


	2. My Summer Love

_A/N: There's a lot of giggling in this chapter. I dont know why. XD_

_Thanks for all the reviews so far! It's always good to see other Tikku fans out there!_

**Chapter 2: My Summer Love**

Rikku raced ahead of the other two girls as they made their way across the island of Besaid to the beach, where Brother waited with the Celsius. As she reached the waterfalls, she slowed down to gaze up at the cascading waters shimmering above her, the sun's rays scattered and turned to liquid as they shone through. She smiled.

Rikku loved Besaid, if for no other reason than it reminded her so much of him. The bright sun, blue sky, warm sand, cool waters... everything here somehow brought a memory of him to her mind: a smile, a laugh, a touch.

Her favorite thing to do here was to explore and find a nice, secret spot that seemed untouched by time, and just lie down and watch the clouds pass by. They used to do that together, on the pilgrimage, whenever they could steal a moment from the worrying and the thinking to just live, to just breathe in the air and cast all their cares to the wind. It was the only thing that kept her sane during that time.

"Hellooo, Spira to Rikku!" She spun around to find her cousin watching her with a particularly curious smile.

Paine stood behind Yuna, also amused. "Were you distracted by something shiny?"

Rikku laughed, slightly embarassed. "Hehehe... Yeah, I was." The admission sent all three girls into a fit of laughter, even the normally composed Paine.

Once they had all calmed down, they set down the island path together. Yuna turned to her cousin and smiled. "So, Rikku... tell us about this new ship you helped Gippal design!"

Paine raised an eyebrow. "You helped design the Highwind?"

Rikku giggled. "Yup-yup! But no telling secrets until the the big unvealing tomorrow!"

Yuna sported a mock-frown. "Aww, no fair, Rikku! Can't you tell us just a little?"

"Nope! I promised Gippal I'd keep it a secret, and a secret's what it's gonna stay!" She laughed as Yuna tried her best to pout. "But why don't we ask Paine to tell us all about what she and the _guys_ will be doing now that they finally get to man their own ship?"

"Oh! Yes, Paine, tell us about your plans!"

Paine shot a glare at Rikku, but humored her friends anyway. "Well, we're going to be taking on an exploratory mission."

Yuna's eyes widened. "Ooh! You mean, like discovering brave new worlds and that sort of thing?"

Paine smiled at Yuna's enthusiasm. "Yeah, that sort of thing. Really, it's just glorified cartography, but it'll be fun to be back with the guys again."

"And they're gonna be looking for secret islands and hidden caves and buried treasure!" Rikku gestured wildly for emphasis. "Just like pirates! Arr!" She threw a hand over one eye and scowled. Yuna giggled.

"Stop that, you look like Gippal," Paine scolded. At this, Yuna and Rikku erupted in a fit of giggles. Paine smirked. "Heh."

They rounded the path, coming up on the hidden cave. Rikku playfully hopped down the moss-covered steps, watching the sunlight and shadows dance beneath her. As she reached the bottom, a mischievous look ran across her face, and she shouted back to the other girls."Race ya!"

Before Yuna and Paine could react, Rikku was already running onto the beach. "H-Hey!" "That's not fair!"

Rikku skidded to a stop in the sand just in front of her brother. She leaned forward with her hands on her knees, laughing and trying to catch her breath as Yuna and Paine jogged towards her.

"Hullo, beach babies!" Brother greeted the two girls warmly, his arms outstretched in a comical manner.

"It's 'babes'. And, ew. No." Rikku grimaced and stood up, her exaggerated expression of disgust sharing that same cartoonish quality as her brother's odd movements.

"What?" Brother innocently turned to his sister and shrugged. "Fine." He turned to lead the way up the ramp to the ship, arms helicoptering at his sides. "Let's gooo, babies!"

Rikku sighed loudly, annoyed, as Yuna, for lack of a better reaction, laughed nervously.

As they boarded the ship, Paine set out to ease the tension.

"One-man sideshow," she shot.

And suddenly, once again, the two cousins were bursting into laughter. Paine smiled.

**My Summer Love: Cleared!**


End file.
